| Are numbers real? The uncanny relationship of mathematics and the physical world by Brian CleggTo what extent do numbers accurately reflect reality? Pretty well, if you're counting livestock. Less so if you're talking about black holes, which are "more the product of mathematics than of science" (that is, there is only indirect evidence for their existence.) In this thought-provoking book, science writer Brian Clegg, author of Ten Billion Tomorrows, examines the relationship between numbers and science, explaining why mathematical models, while increasingly powerful, can never fully account for the complexity of the physical universe. |
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Ice bear: The cultural history of an Arctic icon by Michael EngelhardPrime Arctic predator and nomad of the sea ice and tundra, the polar bear endures as a source of wonder, terror, and fascination. Humans have seen it as spirit guide and fanged enemy, as trade good and moral metaphor, as food source and symbol of ecological crisis. Eight thousand years of artifacts attest to its charisma, and to the fraught relationships between our two species. In the White Bear, we acknowledge the magic of wildness: it is both genuinely itself and a screen for our imagination. Ice Bear traces and illuminates this intertwined history. From Inuit shamans to Jean Harlow lounging on a bearskin rug, from the cubs trained to pull sleds toward the North Pole to cuddly superstar Knut, it all comes to life in these pages.
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| The wood for the trees: One man's long view of Nature by Richard ForteyUpon his retirement from London's Natural History Museum (a career he describes in Dry Storeroom No. 1), British paleontologist Richard Fortey purchased four acres of Grim's Dyke Wood, located in the Chiltern Hills of Oxfordshire, England. He then spent a year exploring the woodlands and documenting his discoveries. |
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| Other minds: The octopus, the sea, and the deep origins of consciousness by Peter Godfrey-SmithAustralian philosopher of science and avid scuba diver Peter Godfrey-Smith explores the origins of consciousness by observing cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses), which he calls nature's "only experiment in big brains outside of the vertebrates." Looking to evolutionary biology to explain how these creatures first developed their complex nervous systems, Godfrey-Smith also reflects on the nature of intelligence itself. Fans of Sy Montogomery's The Soul of an Octopus should enjoy this book, which artfully blends firsthand observation and philosophical musings on animal cognition. |
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Earth in human hands: Shaping our planet's future by David Harry GrinspoonA NASA astrobiologist and award-winning writer outlines optimistic messages about humanity's future in the face of climate change, explaining how the human role in managing the planet's evolution is determining the course of life.
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Arguing science: A dialogue on the future of science and spirit by Rupert SheldrakeTwo controversial authors debate the nature and methods of science, its dogmas, and its future. Rupert Sheldrake argues that science needs to free itself from materialist dogma while Michael Shermer contends that science, properly conceived, is a materialistic enterprise; for science to look beyond materialist explanations is to betray science and engage in superstition. Issues discussed include: materialism and its role in science, whether belief in God is compatible with a scientific perspective, and parapsychology.
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| Atmosphere of hope: Searching for solutions to the Climate Crisis by Tim FlanneryCan human ingenuity reverse the effects of climate change? In other words, can we fix the problem we created before it destroys all life on Earth? Scientist and activist Tim Flannery believes we can, despite a mounting pile of alarming data and a pronounced lack of political will. In this book, Flannery surveys different approaches to the problem, including adapting to a new reality, geoengineering carbon out of the atmosphere, and (Flannery's preferred) "third-way" strategies that utilize the planet's natural processes to achieve balance. |
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| The sixth extinction: An unnatural history by Elizabeth KolbertIn its 4.54-billion-year history, Earth has experienced five mass extinctions -- and humans are on course to cause a sixth, according to New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert. Travelling the world to talk to scientists, Kolbert describes the extinction events that ended previous geological epochs, all caused by natural phenomena ranging from impact events to glaciation. Her conclusion? Our species will destroy itself and everything else, thanks to a convergence of anthropogenic causes: global climate change (resulting from high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere), ocean acidification, and a loss of biodiversity in direct proportion to an exponential increase in the human population. For other books that tackle humanity's impending destruction, try Fred Guterl's The Fate of the Species. |
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| Storm surge: Hurricane Sandy, our changing climate, and extreme weather of the past and future by Adam SobelIn 2012, Hurricane Sandy slammed into the New York metropolitan area, inundating the city and devastating the Jersey Shore. Author and atmospheric scientist Adam Sobel, a New Yorker, witnessed Sandy's devastation firsthand, giving him a unique perspective on events. As he tracks Sandy's progress from tropical cyclone to "superstorm," he delves into meteorology and climatology to explain how weather systems and forecasting work. Sobel also reflects on the ways in which climate change may affect the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and other natural disasters. Readers who enjoy Storm Surge may also be interested in Kathryn Miles' Super Storm: Nine Days Inside Hurricane Sandy. |
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| Half-Earth: Our planet's fight for life by Edward O. WilsonA mass extinction is under way, according to biologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward O. Wilson. Only one-quarter to one-half of all species on Earth are likely to survive the 21st century and it is not guaranteed that Homo sapiens will be among them. Wilson's solution? Set aside 50 percent of the planet as wildlife preserves to counter rapidly decreasing biodiversity. Impossible? Perhaps, but Wilson's impassioned plea on behalf of the biosphere is essential reading for anyone who cares about environmental issues. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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